Hungarian Culture

Hungarian Culture

Cultures with high uncertainty-avoidance prefer stable rules and long-lasting 
relationships. Any uncertainty can express itself in higher anxiety than those from low 
uncertainty avoidance cultures.

Compared to Americans, Hungarians have a significantly stronger tendency to avoid life’
s uncertainties. This means that new situations, unknown people or circumstances 
cause greater stress to the individual, and is usually looked at as a potential problem or 
danger, rather than a challenge.

Hungarians are almost always less direct than Americans and depend on nuances of meaning in many cases. Humor, often sarcastic, may be used to convey a message.Whereas most Finns, Japanese and Thais for example tend to be reserved, most Italians, Greeks and Latin Americans are more outgoing and expressive. Visitors will find us, 

Hungarians closer to the expressive end of the scale, even though at the first meeting you can expect a relatively reserved manner. But: once the ice is broken, we become more demonstrative.Germans and Austrians for example used to describe us as fiery, explosive and unpredictable.Your Hungarian colleagues may speak for effect, some of them might even indulge in exaggeration.Unlike our Central European neighbors, the verbal behavior of the more extreme Hungarians is sometimes reminiscent of the Middle East and Latin America.

Non-verbal Communication

• Differences in the way people communicate often cause misunderstandings. Which is why business visitors should know the basics of Hungarian nonverbal communication. Of course, as with any culture, you will find plenty of individual variation.
  

• Voice volume in a business context should be moderate. Avoid raising your voice and pounding the table during negotiations.
  

• Interpersonal distance: Medium -15 to 25 inches (25 to 40 cm).
  

• Hungarian is a moderately high-contact culture socially, in closer personal relationships (family and friends).
  

• When it comes to business, touching it is more restrained. Expect little or no touching except for the handshake - closer to the German style than the French.
  

• Eye contact: direct gaze across the negotiating table, less intense than in the Middle East and southern Europe but much more direct than in East and Southeast Asia.
  

• Body posture: Hungarian posture and body attitudes may appear restrained to Americans, while Americans' casual posture and movements appear sloppy and uncultured to some Hungarians. Don't speak to someone respectful with your hands in your pocket and gum in your mouth, and never put your feet on coffee tables, desks or chairs.